Genesis 38:28 kjv

And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

Genesis 38:28 nkjv

And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, "This one came out first."

Genesis 38:28 niv

As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, "This one came out first."

Genesis 38:28 esv

And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first."

Genesis 38:28 nlt

While she was in labor, one of the babies reached out his hand. The midwife grabbed it and tied a scarlet string around the child's wrist, announcing, "This one came out first."

Genesis 38 verses

Genesis 38 28 Meaning

Genesis 38:28 describes the pivotal moment during Tamar's labor when one of her twin sons extended his hand from the womb. In response, the attending midwife immediately recognized this as a sign of the firstborn and, with quick action, tied a distinct scarlet thread around the infant's protruding hand, publicly declaring, "This came out first." This action sets up the ensuing dramatic birth narrative, highlighting the immediate human assessment of birth order versus God's sovereign and surprising choice that soon unfolds.

Genesis 38 28 Context

Genesis chapter 38 serves as a distinct interlude within the longer narrative of Joseph. While seemingly a diversion, it profoundly emphasizes the human struggles, deceptions, and moral complexities within the lineage of Judah, from whom the Messiah would descend. The chapter chronicles Judah's personal failings—his misguided marriage to a Canaanite, his responsibility concerning his sons Er, Onan, and Shelah, and particularly his negligence towards his daughter-in-law, Tamar, concerning the levirate marriage custom. Tamar's clever, yet ethically complex, strategy of disguise to conceive an heir through Judah ensures the continuation of the family line, underscoring the vital importance of progeny in ancient Hebrew culture. The dramatic birth of the twins in verse 28 sets the stage for a critical theological point: God's sovereign intervention and His ability to work through imperfect human situations, often in unexpected ways, to fulfill His covenantal promises, especially concerning the Davidic and ultimately Messianic lineage through Judah.

Genesis 38 28 Word analysis

• "And when she travailed" (וַיְהִי בְלִדְתָּהּ, vayhî belidtāh): The phrase emphasizes the arduous nature of childbirth, common in ancient times without modern medical assistance. "Travailed" highlights the intensity and effort involved in bringing forth new life.

• "that the one put out his hand" (וַיִּתֶּן יָד, vayyitten yāḏ):

  • "put out his hand": This deliberate action, though from within the womb, indicates an initial attempt to claim the firstborn status. "Hand" (yāḏ) often symbolizes action, power, and intention in Hebrew scripture, making this an impactful and perceived claim to preeminence.

• "and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread" (וַתִּקַּח הַמְיַלֶּדֶת וַתִּקְשֹׁר עַל־יָדוֹ שָׁנִי, vatikkakh ham-məyalledet vattiqšor ʿal-yādō šānî):

  • "midwife" (הַמְיַלֶּדֶת, ham-məyalledet): An experienced and vital woman in ancient birthing practices. Her quick and decisive action to mark the firstborn demonstrates her professional duty and the cultural importance of identifying the heir.
  • "bound" (וַתִּקְשֹׁר, vattiqšor): This term suggests a firm and deliberate tying, confirming her conviction that this child was the first to emerge.
  • "scarlet thread" (שָׁנִי, šānî): "Scarlet" dye, derived from insects, was a vibrant and costly color. Symbolically, scarlet is rich in meaning throughout scripture: it is associated with wealth and royalty (2 Sam 1:24), sin (Isa 1:18), and crucially, atonement and purification rituals (Lev 14:4-6; Heb 9:19). Its use here anticipates themes of divine election and redemption, hinting at the surprising, even messy, paths God uses to establish His purposes within the messianic lineage.

• "saying, This came out first" (לֵאמֹר, זֶה יָצָא רִאשֹׁנָה, lēʾmōr, zeh yāṣāʾ rišonāh):

  • "This came out first" (זֶה יָצָא רִאשֹׁנָה, zeh yāṣāʾ rišonāh): The midwife's immediate declaration establishes the apparent birth order based on physical observation. This human declaration sets up a significant dramatic tension, as it directly precedes a divine subversion of this perceived order in the subsequent verse, showcasing God's ability to override human expectations.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "one put out his hand" and "midwife took and bound": This sequence illustrates the perceived "claim" by the child and the immediate human response to formalize that claim. It highlights the human tendency to establish order based on visible signs.
  • "scarlet thread" and "This came out first": The mark (scarlet thread) and the accompanying declaration represent a definitive pronouncement of initial status. This initial human "marking" of the seemingly "first" child creates a strong counterpoint for the subsequent divine reordering, where the actual "breaker forth" emerges. The choice of a "scarlet thread" itself adds a layer of rich, multi-faceted symbolism, hinting at deeper divine purposes and the paradoxical nature of the messianic line.

Genesis 38 28 Bonus section

• The dramatic birth sequence of Zerah and Perez functions as a prefigurement of God's consistent pattern throughout biblical history, often choosing the less expected or "second" in line (e.g., Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Ephraim over Manasseh, David over his older brothers), to fulfill His divine purposes.
• The names of the twins themselves carry prophetic weight in light of this verse and the next: Zerah meaning "brightness" or "dawning" (like a sunrise) and Perez meaning "breach" or "breakthrough." The irony is that the one initially marked for "dawning" retreats, while the one named "breakthrough" truly makes a "breach," signifying a new beginning or a divinely orchestrated disruption of the expected.
• This particular detail of the scarlet thread tied to Zerah's hand creates an almost theatrical element, underscoring that human perception of reality, even in defining initial status, is often insufficient in discerning God's ultimate design.

Genesis 38 28 Commentary

Genesis 38:28 is more than a simple birth record; it is a dramatic preamble to a significant divine intervention within the very lineage of the Messiah. The scene emphasizes immediate human perception and determination of status based on visible evidence—the hand protruding from the womb and the swift declaration by the midwife. The act of binding a scarlet thread not only signifies the midwife's conviction regarding the firstborn but also unknowingly imbues the moment with symbolic weight; scarlet in scripture carries connotations of sin, blood, and redemption. This human effort to secure an anticipated birthright (that of Zerah) ultimately yields to God's sovereign will when the unexpected twin, Perez ("breach" or "breakthrough"), remarkably emerges first, creating a "breach" in the conventional birth order. Thus, the verse beautifully sets up the divine pattern of selecting the "younger" or the "unexpected" to carry forward the covenant line, revealing that God's ways are not governed by human expectation or visible signs, but by His sovereign purpose. It underscores how God faithfully works through flawed individuals and surprising circumstances to bring about His perfect plan for redemption.